Big Tasks. Big Goals, Big Results.
A Stakeholder Safety Story
When a challenge lands on Laura Sorer’s desk, she isn’t one to flinch. Instead, she buckles up and leans in.
That’s exactly what happened in 2024 when she took on the task of transforming health and safety across the legacy Tyman UK and Ireland division. What she inherited was no small challenge: a backlog of overdue risk assessments, low engagement around safety, inconsistent training, and a need to re-establish group safety standards in China.
To others, that may look like a mountain. Not to Laura. She saw momentum waiting to happen. And to all of us, we see this year’s Stakeholder Award winner.
“She came in during a real period of flux. She was very calm in her manner, to understand what was in place,” said Stacey Edwards, HR, health and safety, and IT director in the United Kingdom. “Health and safety can sometimes be a topic that’s a little dry. And it can be a little difficult to make it fun and engaging. But Laura finds a way of doing that and bringing people together.”
Across five locations—including manufacturing sites, a warehouse, and offices in both the UK and China—Laura became the driving force behind a dramatic safety turnaround. Her mission wasn’t just to tick boxes or push compliance—it was to build a culture where people actively looked out for each other and where safety became second nature.
She started by clearing that backlog, ensuring that more than 400 risk assessments were reviewed and revised at the Access 360 facility. She revitalized health and safety committees; rolled out fresh, focused training; and introduced smarter, more engaging safety communications to make safety feel like everyone’s job—not just a policy.
And she pulled it off while keeping a steady approach that affects people in positive ways. “You see her walking by and think, ‘She’s having a great time’,” Stacey said. “And that rubs off on people around her. They want to be engaged in that peace.”
One of the biggest shifts came through her introduction of the Sphera safety platform, a user-friendly tool that made it easier for employees to report hazards and log observations. With Laura’s leadership and the engagement of teams across the business, a new safety rhythm took hold, one built on visibility, responsibility, and genuine care for each other.
The results speak for themselves. For the first time ever, the division went a full year without a lost-time or recordable injury—down from six the year before. High-potential near misses dropped by 80%. Safety training hours soared by 46%, leadership tours increased by 70%, and more than 500 corrective actions were resolved thanks to hazard reports from teammates on the ground. Momentum, indeed.
It’s a performance turnaround, yes. But more than that, it’s a culture shift, and it’s one that Laura helped ignite and sustain.
And it’s exactly why she’s this year’s Stakeholder Award Winner.
“This award would be a real strong acknowledgment of her skill,” Stacey said. “She’s 100% passionate about health and safety. I would bet my house on her.”
